Heroes
by W0nderboy
Summary: Takes place after episode 282, and is a very OOC AU of Ash pondering about Team Rocket. Wow the last person you'd expect to write a Pokemon story. :)


Heroes

By W0nderboy

"If it wasn't for those two, I wouldn't be here now! I'd be rich"

Rico, the now-caught Pokemon hunter sat in the prison which he now occupied. It was a few

hours since his capture and he had been raving like a loon.

Ash sat down on the couch in the police station. Max and May had fallen asleep on two other

couches. Brock was in the kitchen.

His mind was occupied by something. Pikachu was asleep next to him, giving an occasional

"pika" in his releasing breath. Brock came out of the kitchen with two cups of tea.

"Here." He gave one of the teacups to Ash and placed his on the table occupying the current

room the Jennies used. Ask took a sip of tea and also placed it on the table. Then his mind went

back to his current thoughts. Brock noticed this.

"What's on your mind."

"Something that poacher said to me.", Ask replied.

"Whatever it is, it has your attention focused on it. You've been like that for a good

while now."

"Really?"

"I know that you got a chance to speak with that guy, but whatever it is..." Brock stopped

what he was about to say. He didn't hear the conversation, so he had know right to give any advice,

or even to ask Ash what he had said. Because Ash captured Rico, he was allowed to ask some

questions. But whatever they were, it did something to him. He wanted to ask what, but it wasn't

any of his business. They were silent for a moment, the Ash spoke.

Did you ever think that someone was bad, as bad as they could be and you assumed it, but

then all of a sudden you find out that it wasn't totally true?

"Well, you certainly aren't talking about Rico.", Brock responded. But he was didn't know

where Ash was going with this. "Why do you ask?"

Ash smiled. "Yeah, you're right. It's just something I said early that I regret now."

Brock gave a confused look. "I don't know remember what you said, refresh my memory,

please."

"I said, At least there are people who are opposite of Team Rocket."

"So?"

"What Rico said, made me regret it." He took another sip of tea. It reminded Brock that he

had a cup of tea on the table and he picked it up for the first time.

"Ash, now I'm really confused. I think I understand what you're saying, but Team Rocket..."

He took a sip of tea.

"They were the ones who released the pouched Pokemon."

Brock almost spit out his tea. He swallowed hard to prevent it then looked at Ash.

"Yeah, I'm just as surprised as you are."

"Are you sure."

"A boy with blue neck long hair, and a girl with long reddish hair and both wore white

outfits with giant R's on them. They gave a ridiculous intro to answer his question, and used an

Arbok and a Weezing and had a Wobuffet and a talking Meowth."

Brock out down his tea again and put his chin on the fists of his hands.

"That's them alright. What were they doing there anyway? Knowing Team Rocket they must of

had a reason."

"Rico said that they were trying to pilfer the Ekans and Koffing he kidnapped."

Brock frowned, "I should of known..."

"But in the end, they held him off while the Pokemon escaped, even Arbok and Weezing. He

finished them off with a hyper beam and started to chase after them, but even then..."

"They still tried to stop him, after what they went through?"

Ash nodded. "That explosion we saw was him fighting Team Rocket." He took another sip of

tea. "After that he chased after his missing "prize", but ran into us instead."

"I'm guessing that's a full confession he just gave. I don't feel sorry for what will

happen to him. But don't get me wrong, I won't for sorry for what happened to Team Rocket either. 

They did it for a selfish reason Ash." He picked up the luke-warm tea.

"Even if they did end up saving all those Pokemon, it was and probably still would of been

for the wrong reasons. You can never teach old Pokemon new tricks and that goes the same with

humans too."

Ash looked at Brock. His eyes showed anger, and for what Team Rocket did, he understood. 

He hated that they kept on trying to hurt Pikachu, but...

"What if they aren't old Pokemon. We really don't know much about them in the first place. 

Maybe they're struggling and some good's trying to escape. And sometimes, even though they have a

strange way of showing it, they do. Rico said that they wouldn't surrender they're Pokemon to him. 

They cared too much about them. Maybe that proves there's a good side after all.

"And you really believe that about the people who tried and still are after Pikachu?"

Ash knew that would come up sooner or later. He thought long and hard before giving his

reply.

"Like I said before, we don't know them or there reasons for doing what they're doing. He

hesitated for a second, then continued. "Maybe it's people they work for. Maybe they just want to

get higher then they are now."

Brock frowned. "As I said about teaching old Pokemon..."

"But", he interrupted, "Maybe they don't have anywhere else to turn too. This is the only

place which they think accepts them even though society doesn't. But they've ended up trapped and

confused and they have no way out. So in order to succeed the only way is to go higher up."

A pause. Then he continued.

"What if they're lives weren't as nice as ours. Maybe they didn't have what we have,

families who still loves us no matter what we do, and friends who we can rely on in bad times. All

they have to rely on is each other. Misty told me something once."

"What Ash."

"Well remember when I told you when Tracy and I got sick from those poin spores and Misty

had to retrieve some kind of grass to cure us? And she ended up fighting one of Team Rocket who was

also looking for the grass.?"

"Yeah."

Ash finished up his tea, then continued.

"Well there another part to it. She only fought James and Meowth, so where was the other

one? And why were they looking for the grass also?"

Brock thought about it for a bit. The answer came.

"She was in the same condition as we were. They were finding a way to cure their partner."

Ash nodded.

"Or how about, friend. I have a feeling that those two are closer then they let on. How

many years have they been chasing us?"

Ash stared at the empty teacup.

"When we first met, I saw you as nothing more then a Gym Leader I had to beat for my first

gym badge. But then I saw the real you, a guy who was taking care of his brothers and sisters. 

After you gave up your badge to me, you've decided to come along with us. How many times have we

talked while camping outdoors or in the Pokemon Center? How about all the times you helped me?"

Another pause.

"So how about Jessie and James, how many times do you think they were in the same situation?

They might be partners, but I have a feeling they're much more then that. And even more at times, I

think they have emotions, it's just hard to show them. They might act like bad guys, but maybe they

just had some bad luck and they only have each other to lean on."

Silence, Brock pondered what Ash had said. He finished his tea and stood up.

"Maybe, but to me, they're still bad people Ash. You want to change them, but that's

impossible, at least for those three anyway."

Then he got up and walked out.

Ash went outside to clear his mind, and as he left he saw a familiar figure.

"You."

Jessie turned to him.

"I'm not after your Pikachu if that's what you're thinking. I heard that poacher was caught

and ended up here."

"Yeah?"

Ash remembers what Brock had said, out of habit his had his Pokemon ready just in case.

"So where's your partner? Are you looking for a fight?"

"James and Meowth are back in camp. I snuck out.", Jessie replied. And before Ash could

respond Jessie continued.

"I overheard your conversation about us, but your wrong kid, we aren't nice people. You

don't remember all the times you fought us? We as Team Rocket must win, no matter what."

Ash's head went down so his eye's were covered by his cap.

"I see..."

Jessie looked at him.

"I think you could call it more then bad luck, more like fate. Neither of us had easy

lives, and one way or another we ended up as partners, but we've become more like best friends. We

tell each other everything and we can't stand to see each other hurt. Maybe because we were hurt

before that by protecting each other, we can protect each other from being hurt. Even all the times

we've been blown up, fall into pits, or even shocked, that was nothing compared to losing each

other."

"And sometime we break character and try to do something right we still screw-up, and even

if it's for a self-indulged purpose, at least it means that we aren't heartless, we just have to

look out for ourselves."

She turned and began to leave.

"You won't mention this to anyone right?"

Ash nodded.

She paused for a moment, just a moment, and then she spoke.

"You may consider us heroes, but in truth we're just trying to survive. I guess you have to

grow up first before you see the truth."

Then she walked off, calling out. "Next time, we're get your pikachu for sure. Until

then..."

He couldn't hear the rest.

Ask went back inside of the station and pondered what he had heard. He didn't understand what

Jessie had meant by the last part, but she justified a lot. Brock was right, but then so was he. 

But he just didn't know what to do. The couch we he and Brock had talked earlier was empty, and so

Ash laid down and fell asleep.

"Where did you go?"

James was awake and sitting next to a newly made fire.

"Just out for a walk. She sat down next to him. "But you didn't have to wait for me."

James smiled.

"It's OK, I couldn't sleep anyway."

She sat next to him, and they talked all night.

Disclaimer time. Pokemon is owned by Nintendo, please don't sue. All you will get is smoal. 

Anyway I saw this episode a few months ago and just started writing. it might not make much sense, but what I'm trying to say, is that Jessie and James are just misunderstood. Of course I could be wrong. :)

And yes I know Jessie wouldn't meet Ash especially anywhere near a police station. The last part is OOC but please just go with it. Anyway, sorry if the story sucks. I hope to have something better soon... 


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